Thursday, April 21, 2011

Pencil me in

So remember when I asked you if you'd mind if I talked about our Christmas all through January? Well, how do you feel about me continuing through April because I'm still not done. This one is just too fun to leave out though.

My siblings and I draw names for Christmas gifting, but on the odd years that we are actually all together, I like to have a small gift for everyone. It's usually something I make. The first year it was magnetic poetry including magnets to make each person's most common sayings. Another year it was hand-carved stamps with a picture of each person and their name. This year I gave each person a set of personalized pencils. Larry helped me think of what to have engraved on each of them.

Candice is a huge Jane Austen fan so her pencils said "Mrs. Darcy, I mean, Stringham"

Mark's evil genius pencils might be my favorite.

My dad's a professor so "Don't steal Dr. Borup's pencil" seemed just right for him.

Marissa's said "Bob Saget Fan Club President" because one year when she lived with me and Larry, she made me a shirt that said "Bob Saget Loves Me" and ever since then it's been an inside joke. Thinking of her using these makes me giggle.

Marissa's husband Mike has a heterosexual-man-crush on Ronald Regan, I swear. It was Larry's idea to make him pencils that said "Still winning one for the Gipper" I can see him using these in his office in Canada and feeling like he has a little bit of home with him.

I made Larry's say "Dr Larry Freakin' Awesome Ford" because I would laugh so hard if my doctor had pencils that said something like that in his office. I'm sure he will never use them in his clinic, but I still find them very entertaining.

They looked so pretty all together that I couldn't resist stilling a few from each person. They I tied up the rest in a bundle for each person with a big red bow.

I think they are so fun that I sent a batch to our adopted family in Ohio too. I just wish that I could have been there to see them open them in person on Christmas morning.

Now I'm tempted to make these for every occasion: birthday party favors, baby shower favors, Easter Basket filler . . .